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Medical Association reports moderate increase in treatment errors
The German Medical Association has published the latest figures on treatment errors. Thus, in 2016, a total of 2,245 treatment errors were confirmed, with 7,639 decisions on alleged treatment errors made by review panels and arbitration boards in 2016 across Germany. "Errors happen, even in medicine. But the likelihood of patients being harmed by a treatment error is extremely low. " Andreas Crusius, Chairman of the Standing Conference of Expert Commissions and Arbitration Offices of the German Medical Association.
Although there is again a slight increase in the confirmed treatment errors, the risk remains rather small in relation to the interventions. "We do not want to trivialize anything", because behind every mistake could be a heavy human fate, but the risks in medicine must be properly arranged so as not to unnerve patients unnecessarily, emphasizes Dr. med. Crusius. For alarmism and bungling allegations there is no reason given the current statistics. Both are also a pity for "the now well-established open error culture in medicine."
The number of treatment errors has risen again slightly, but the risk remains very low compared to the treatments that have taken place. (Image: Kzenon / fotolia.com) Constantly growing number of treatment cases
The information of Dr. med. According to Crusius, the number of treatment errors should always be considered in relation to the total number of cases of treatment in clinical practice. Thus, the outpatient treatment cases between 2004 and 2015 increased by 160 million to 696 million now and it looks similar in the hospitals. There, the number of treatment cases in the same period increased by more than 2.5 million to nearly 19.8 million cases. "Measured by this, the number of errors found is in the per thousand range," says Crusius.
Recordable health damage at 1,845 cases
"The data of the medical associations are absolutely valid, because they are based on real cases," emphasized Kerstin Kols, director of the arbitration board for medical liability questions of the northern German medical associations, in the presentation of treatment error statistics. Throughout Germany, a total of 7,639 decisions (previous year: 7,215) on presumed treatment errors were made in 2016 by the expert commission. The number of confirmed treatment errors increased from 2,132 cases in the previous year to 2,245 cases in 2016. In 1,845 cases, a damage to health occurred as a result of the treatment error, which justified the patient's entitlement to compensation.
Treatment error especially common in knee and hip arthrosis
The statistics also show that for certain treatments, the likelihood of an error is significantly increased. The most common diagnoses leading to treatment error reproaches were knee and hip joint arthrosis as well as lower leg and ankle fractures, reports the German Medical Association. In 400 cases, there was a treatment error / risk reconnaissance deficiency, which, however, had no causal health damage.
Innovative error prevention
For the prevention of errors, the recording of treatment errors is an essential prerequisite, explains Professor Dr. med. Walter Schaffartzik, medical director of the accident hospital Berlin and medical chairman of the conciliation office for medical liability questions of the northern German medical associations. "Medicine in Germany is highly innovative. This not only applies to diagnostics and therapy, but also to the field of error prevention and quality assurance. Checklists, quality circles, peer reviews - but also tumor conferences or morbidity and mortality conferences are just a few examples, "says Schaffartzik.
If errors nevertheless occur, the expert commissions and conciliation boards of the medical associations offer possible contact persons, even highly qualified experts and lawyers can consult you for the exam. "An informal application is sufficient. The report and the final evaluation are free of charge for patients, "explains the German Medical Association. (Fp)